


so self-satisfied

by sweetillusion



Series: you've got friends you can trust [1]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff and Crack, M/M, Multi, Napping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 02:58:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16945695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetillusion/pseuds/sweetillusion
Summary: By the second day of rehearsals it feels like they’ve known each other for years.Though perhaps they start to like each other a littletoomuch because when Joe jokingly suggests that they should cuddle together to foster band camaraderie, none of them really seem to mind or disagree.





	so self-satisfied

**Author's Note:**

> This is the dumbest thing I've ever written. I blame Joe Mazzello's stupid face.
> 
> Please don't send this to any of the actors. I'll combust in shame if any of them find this.

The four of them really do get along astonishingly well together. 

Of course, Joe has known Rami for almost ten years, and they have the type of friendship where they can meet up after years apart and it feels like no time has passed. They went through hell together filming _The Pacific_ , and Joe is relieved that their second project together is something just as important, but perhaps less emotionally scarring.

He’s excited to work with Rami again and to have that camaraderie and intimacy that’s inherent to most film sets. Joe still remembers how seamlessly he and Rami worked alongside each other almost a decade ago, and they slip back into that mindset effortlessly, but he finds himself surprised by how quickly he forms a bond with Gwil and Ben as well. 

By the second day of rehearsals it feels like they’ve known each other for years. By the third day, Joe and Ben have already taken several pictures of them napping together in front of Ben’s drum set. Gwil eventually joins them, and Rami stays off to the side laughing and taking pictures of the rest of them.

They're so in sync that by the end of the first week, they all start to refer to themselves as “the band”. The worst part is that they don’t even mean it jokingly.

They spend their first weekend exploring the restaurants and bars near the studio, getting drunk and bonding over all the research they did to prepare for their roles and all the things they wish had been included in the script. Joe takes it upon himself to document their adventures with pictures and videos, even though most of the pictures he takes end up being selfies of him sitting in everyone’s laps.

The pictures somehow lead to the drunken creation of a WhatsApp group which they proceed to spam with pictures and messages whenever one of them leaves the room. It’s ridiculous to the point of absurdity, and he loves every second of it.

Later, Joe realizes that this is probably when they should have realized that perhaps they like each other a little _too_ much.

 

 

The producers provide them with a “band room” on set, ostensibly to get them in the proper headspace, but it quickly becomes a place for the four of them to hang out when they’re not shooting any scenes.

Joe tends to prefer it over his trailer because the sofas are comfier and because there’s always someone else in the room to keep him company. He hates being on film sets where the cast disappears to their respective trailers when they’re done for the day. He likes being around his co-stars and getting a chance to know them better. 

He especially likes it after days like today where he spent the better part of the afternoon trying on costumes and wigs. All he wants to do is relax and complain to someone who also understands how ridiculous clothing and hairstyles were in the 70s. Some of his costumes are truly outrageous (though they’re nothing to the costumes Rami has to wear) and Joe’s never been more grateful to have missed the fashion of the previous generations.

When he pushes open the door to the band room, he finds Rami lounging on one of the sofas, idly flipping through a paperback book. He calls out a greeting without looking up.

Rami has, predictably, chosen the most comfortable of the two sofas in the room, so Joe considers his options, the empty sofa or one of the two reclining chairs, before shuffling across the room and flopping down on top of Rami. 

“I’ve had to try on so many wigs today,” he mumbles into the fabric of Rami’s shirt. “I want to die.”

“Hello to you too,” Rami says, deadpan. He pats Joe on the head, which makes Joe smirk and roll over to look up at him. “You’re crushing my book.”

“I’m more entertaining than a book,” he says. He sighs dramatically and throws an arm over his eyes. “I’m going to have to get a perm. A big, floofy 80s style perm.” 

“I’m sure it’ll look great,” Rami says. He nudges Joe in the side. “Are you going to get up?”

“No, I’m still sulking,” he says. He stretches out along the length of the sofa, tangling his feet with Rami’s. 

Rami rolls his eyes, but his smile is fond as he pulls his book out from underneath Joe. The cover is a little creased and he smooths it out with one hand before resting the book on top of Joe’s head and opening it back up.

“Hey,” Joe complains, though he’s too lazy to actually do anything about it. Rami is warm and comfortable, and he’s suddenly reminded of all the times they invaded each other’s personal space during _The Pacific_.

They’re still in the same position when Gwil comes into the room. He stops and stares at them, eyebrows raised. Joe waves at him sleepily. Rami continues reading his book.

“Don’t you look cozy,” Gwil says, grinning. “Should I take a picture for posterity?”

He pulls out his phone and takes a few pictures without waiting for an answer. Not that Joe would have stopped him anyway.

He’s about to ask Gwil to show him the picture when he hears his phone buzz with an incoming message, and then hears Rami’s do the same a second later. Gwil must have sent the pictures to the group chat.

“You could join us,” Joe says. He tries to wiggle his eyebrows suggestively, but from the way Gwil snorts, he doesn’t think it was all that successful.

“I don’t think I’d fit,” Gwil says. He plops down on the floor in front of them, leaning his head back against the sofa cushions. He angles his phone so that all three of them are in frame and snaps a picture. 

Joe watches as he composes a text to Ben, uploading the picture and sending it off with a _wish you were here!_

Joe shifts from his position on Rami’s lap and reaches for Gwil’s phone. He adds a string of emojis after the message, which makes Gwil laugh and Rami sigh

He finally abandons his book to lean over Joe’s shoulder and peer down at the phone. “Now you’re just being obnoxious.”

Joe tilts his head to look at him. “It’s his fault for still being stuck in fittings. He’s missing all the fun.”

Gwil’s phone chimes with a new text which makes him try to swipe the phone from Joe. Joe attempts to keep it out of reach, and barely manages to read Ben’s reply of _why don’t you guys cuddle with me anymore???? :( :(_ before Gwil almost flattens him to the ground. Rami wisely moves back to the safety of the sofa and watches as Gwil and Joe fight over the phone.

The ensuing match ends up with them accidentally sending Ben a text of incoherent letters and numbers. He replies back with a series of question marks, followed by a string of sad emojis.

“I think he feels left out,” Gwil says. 

“Well, there’s an obvious solution to that,” Joe says.

The next day, he finds Ben on set and plops down in his lap, throwing his arms around Ben’s neck. “Heard you were feeling left out yesterday,” he says. “We can cuddle now if you want.”

Ben promptly stands up and dumps him on the ground, laughing at his disgruntled yelp. Gwil, naturally, is nearby and captures it all on video.

 

 

“I have an idea,” Joe says a few days later. The crew is finishing sound checks before they begin rehearsal, and the four of them are huddled together waiting for their cue to go on stage. They’re probably standing closer than necessary, but it’s unusually cold outside and their big puffy jackets aren’t really doing much to keep out the chill.

“Well, it can’t be anything good,” Gwil says. It makes Ben laugh, which makes Gwil look ridiculously pleased with himself.

“I think,” Joe says, clearing his throat and pausing for dramatic effect, “that we should have band cuddle sessions. To foster camaraderie.”

He means it as a joke, but then Ben shrugs and says, “Sure, okay,” and neither Rami nor Gwil disagree with him.

In fact, they seem pretty okay with the idea. 

 

 

It’s stupid, really. The sofa in their band room isn’t big enough for all four of them. Gwil is too tall to fully stretch out, and his feet hang off the end. Ben tends to spread out like a starfish, while Rami curls up as close as he can to whomever is next to him. Joe is left to fight his way in between them, or when that fails, to just lie down on top of them until someone moves.

The crew finds their tendency to cuddle and nap together hilarious, and he knows Lucy and Allen enjoy making fun of them and taking their own pictures for posterity (or, in Joe’s opinion, possibly blackmail).

Joe finds the entire situation hilarious. There’s also a secret part of him that looks forward to it. Joe had routinely napped against Rami’s side when they had spare moments between filming on _The Pacific_ , and he’s pleased that he gets to continue the habit. Even better that he gets to rope Gwil and Ben into it this time as well.

“How do you think the fans would react to this?” Ben asks one afternoon, voice muffled. His face is planted against Gwil’s neck, and Gwil keeps swatting at the back of his head whenever Ben tries to speak. 

“They’d love it,” Joe says, leaning back against Gwil’s legs. 

Rami huffs out a vaguely disapproving sound from where he’s curled up in Joe’s lap. “You’re not posting any of these pictures online.”

Joe slips his hand in Rami’s hair and pulls at his curls. He smirks when Rami cracks open an eye to look at him warily. “No,” Rami says.

“Yes,” Joe says. “It’d be hilarious.”

“Joe, _no_.”

“Rami, yes,” Joe says. He pats Rami’s cheek lightly and grins. “Do it for me?”

Gwil groans and flicks Joe’s shoulder. “Stop flirting.”

Rami and Ben both laugh, and Joe decides to ignore their reactions when he says, “I think we should do this in costume. You know, do a proper photoshoot.”

Which is how, a few days into filming their Live Aid scenes, they end up convincing the crew to set up some mattresses for their impromptu and studio unsanctioned photoshoot. Joe ends up sandwiched between Gwil and Ben, which is probably for the best because he’s unable to keep his eyes off Rami while he’s wearing his Live Aid costume. Rami looks at him knowingly as he slings an arm over Ben’s shoulder.

Ben snuggles up behind him until there’s practically no space between them. It makes Joe hum contentedly, which causes Gwil to break out into a fit of giggles and grab at his hand to pull him close.

“Are you satisfied now?” Gwil asks once his laughter has subsided.

“Oh, this is just the beginning,” Joe says. “I have so much more planned for us.”


End file.
